


Preludes

by magumarashi



Series: Love & Justice Series (Actual Phantom Thief AU) [3]
Category: Persona 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 12:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12653955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magumarashi/pseuds/magumarashi
Summary: Before their chance meeting in Paris, a certain thief and a certain detective lived relatively normal lives in Tokyo...





	1. The Young Detective

**Author's Note:**

> Friends, of two things we can be absolutely certain. 1. I am terrible at taking breaks from fanwork and 2. if I say "maybe we'll hear from x again" it usually means "no i am not done getting ideas for this universe and in about a week I will be back on my bullshit".
> 
> Anyway, this is a pair (one's a two-parter) of scenes set before [Love & Justice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11051823/chapters/24639177), that I wrote just for fun (mostly. ~~because the second one will actually tie into the next thing I'm working on... shhh~~ ). I realized I'm not really doing much more work on them so I figured I'd post em while I seem to be on a "posting stuff to AO3" binge.
> 
> As usual, the characters have been aged up from canon. Goro is 21, while Akira will be 18 and 20 (there's a timeskip) in the second. Considering there's no sex or anything in this I'm not sure that disclaimer actually matters lmao... Anyway, happy reading, everybody

Amid the crowded rows of desks at the Shibuya Ward Police Station, one Goro Akechi finished filing away a stack of case files. His neighbors on either side were practically buried under their own stacks, all rushing to close their cases before the end of the year. Goro was lucky: he’d cracked his last case wide open, and officers had finally arrested the perpetrator the previous week. That was the conclusion of about three months of careful work--and now, in mid-December, Goro could finally relax a little.

Of course, he did his best to maintain the illusion of being hard at work. He’d learned fairly quickly that his much-older coworkers hated seeing the young detective breeze through each assignment. He’d made more than a few enemies before checking his attitude.

Someone rapped on the edge of his desk, and he looked up--it was the police chief’s secretary, Awano.

“Akechi-kun?” she asked, “Are you busy right now?”

“Not at the moment,” Goro smiled at her pleasantly, “What is it, Awano-san?”

“The chief would like to see you. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble.”

“Oh, good,” said Goro--not that he’d ever been in trouble. “Should I go right now?”

“If you can, yes.”

Goro stood, leaving his desk empty. His neighbors eyed him enviously as he followed Awano to the a certain office at the back of the room. “Chief Inspector Shinohara” was etched into the frosted-glass window on the door. Awano knocked, then poked her head in.

“Chief? I have Akechi-kun with me.”

“Great,” Shinohara’s deep voice could be heard from within, “Send him in.”

Awano nodded to Goro, indicating to the open door. Goro bowed to her briefly before stepping inside.

Chief Shinohara sat at a great oak desk at the back of the room, his window overlooking a busy Shibuya street. He was a strapping middle-aged man, his sideburns already fading to grey, and a salt-and-pepper mustache hanging over his lips. There was an empty chair waiting for Goro across from the desk; in another chair sat a silver-haired detective Goro had spoken to a few times but never worked with on a case.

“Akechi-kun, have a seat,” said Shinohara. Goro quickly did as he was told. “Awano told you you’re not in trouble, yeah?”

“She did, sir.”

“Good. By the way--have you met Detective Niijima yet?”

Goro turned to look at the woman next to him; he knew she was much older than he was, but she looked deceptively young. She met his gaze, and her wine-red eyes seemed to pierce through him.

“We’ve met before,” she said.

“Once or twice,” Goro added, “Sae Niijima, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. And you’re Goro Akechi, of course. Not a single detective here doesn’t know who you are.”

“I’m flattered,” said Goro, hoping to dispel some of the tension. Having a department-wide reputation was more often a curse than a blessing.

“Good, so you know each other already,” Shinohara nodded to himself, “Detectives, I’ll get right to the point. I have a potentially very lucrative opportunity for the both of you.”

The two detectives looked at each other before returning their attention to the chief.

“You’ve heard about those ‘incidents’ in France the last few months, haven’t you?” Shinohara continued, “Priceless artwork disappearing with just a calling card left in their place?”

“The so-called ‘phantom thief’, sir?” asked Niijima. “I’ve only heard rumors. Frankly, it’s a bit hard to believe…”

Goro frowned. This was the first he was hearing of it, but in his defense, he’d spent the last three months tied up with a case… 

“I thought so too,” said Shinohara, “But in the last week I’ve had contact with the French government--specifically, the Inspector General over in Paris. They’re tearing their hair out over this case, and they heard through the grapevine that we might have an ‘asset’ that could help them get to the bottom of it.”

“And that asset would be…?” said Goro.

Shinohara looked at him over the rims of his glasses.

“You, Akechi-kun,” he said, “They’ve requested your help specifically in solving the phantom thief heists.”

For a minute Goro could only stare at him.

_ I didn’t know anyone outside the department knew about me. Why would foreign police want my help all the sudden...? _

“As you’ve probably surmised, they’re desperate,” the chief added. “They wouldn’t seek international help otherwise. Now, I know you have more experience with murder cases, but after you did such a fine job with the Makigami thefts…”

“I don’t know,” said Goro, “Those were bored teens committing petty burglary on easy targets. To catch a professional thief would be…”

“An opportunity to prove your skills,” Shinohara finished for him. “I have full confidence in you, Akechi-kun.”

“I appreciate it, sir, but there’s one other concern,” said Goro. “I don’t speak a lick of French.”

“Of course you don’t, but you don’t have to. That’s why I would have Niijima join you.” The chief turned his attention to the silver-haired detective. “You studied French as an undergraduate, did you not?”

“I did,” said Niijima, “I’m a bit rusty, but I could probably get by in a professional setting…”

“Good,” said Shinohara, “Listen up, both of you. Normally I would merely issue an assignment, but as these are special circumstances, I’ll leave it to your discretion whether you take the case or not. If you accept, you will be flown out to France at the start of January. The French have offered to provide you with lodging and a stipend to cover the cost of living abroad--along with the salary we’re already paying you. They will get you oriented in Paris, and they have interpreters on their end who can assist you as well. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so please thoroughly consider before deciding.”

The chief smiled playfully--a rare sight.

“I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous,” he said, “Have either of you been to France before?”

“No, sir,” said Goro.

“I studied there for a summer in college…” Niijima responded vaguely. 

“I’ve never been either, but I’ve heard it’s lovely,” the chief’s serious expression returned, “You have until the end of the year to decide. That’s all. You’re dismissed.”

The two detectives rose and bowed politely. Niijima left the room first, and Goro followed her out.

“That was certainly unexpected,” said Niijima as she closed the door behind him.

“It was…” Goro echoed absently. The magnitude of the chief’s request hadn’t quite hit him yet.

“Are you alright, Akechi-kun?” asked Niijima, “It’s probably a lot to swallow…”

“Yeah…” he smiled at her, trying to dispel her worry, “I’ve never been assigned a case this big before… I guess I’m a bit nervous.”

“You don’t have to take it if you don’t feel up to it,” said Niijima.

“Oh, no, it’s not that,” said Goro. “It actually sounds fascinating, and I’m sure it can’t be much harder than some of the murder cases I’ve been on. But I’ve never been out of the country before…”

“Not even on vacation?” Niijima frowned, “Though, I suppose it makes sense that you haven’t, considering your circumstances…”

“If I decline, will you still be able to go?” Goro asked, “Or is it an all-or-nothing kind of thing, I wonder…”

“Since they asked for you specifically, they probably won’t accept me as a substitute.” Niijima sighed, tucking some hair behind her ear--he’d noticed it was a tic of hers, but hadn’t yet determined what it pointed to. “Much as I’d love to go to France…”

“Well, I’ll think about it,” said Goro, “It’s certainly a unique opportunity. When I make a decision, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Right. Thanks, Akechi-kun. We’ll talk more later; I have a meeting soon.”

“Alright. See you, Niijima-san.”

Niijima took her leave, and Goro made his way back to his desk. He took a seat, considering his options.

_ France, huh…? _

He didn’t  _ want _ to go to France, not really. The prospect of starting work in a country where he didn’t speak the language terrified him. And taking on a professional thief was a daunting challenge. Goro had been with the force for several years, but his skills were mostly put to use on murder cases. He’d solved several that were thoroughly planned, where the murderer had considered every outcome--but in a murder, there was always a body. There was always evidence one way or another. How was he supposed to track down a thief who left no trace…? 

The chief had made it sound like Goro had a choice in the matter, but in reality things weren’t that simple. If he declined, it would likely mean a blow to the department’s reputation both at home and abroad--the chief would be none too happy with him, either. At best, it would make Goro look arrogant: being able to turn down a case that other detectives would have killed to take, simply because it didn’t interest him. At worst, it would make him look like he wasn’t up to the job, and he couldn’t afford to lose favor now. Not when the police were his only source of support.

He wasn’t required to go. He was  _ obligated _ to.

* * *

Their flight to Paris was set for the first week of January, just after the New Year’s holidays ended. Goro had never traveled by plane before, and found himself unable to sleep. He spent the flight reading up about the city where he would be working for the foreseeable future. He had no idea how long he would be there. The chief hadn’t bought them return tickets.

The first few days were a blur of introductions and tours to get a feel for the place. Goro had seen Paris in TV commercials and movies; he felt a strange vertigo walking among famous landmarks and buildings. For the most part he remained quiet, speaking only when addressed, and letting Niijima cover for him in her confident French. If he didn’t get the hang of things soon, it was looking to be a difficult couple of weeks--or worse, longer.

Luckily, things like architecture and security protocols didn’t hide behind a language barrier. He would determine what needed to be done, and Niijima would get the message across. With any luck they’d have Arsene behind bars before the month was out, and Goro could return home.

After spending the first few nights in a hotel downtown, Niijima and Goro were shown to their apartments; they’d be living separately, but close to the station where they’d be based. Goro’s apartment was decidedly modest: a studio with a kitchen the size of a postage stamp and a bathroom that might well have been a closet. Small for Paris, it was still larger than his apartment back in Tokyo. The room was already furnished with the essentials--a bed, a dresser, a kitchen table with two chairs. Sparse, but Goro had the feeling he wouldn’t be spending much time here. 

Once they turned him loose, Goro had a little time on his own. There wouldn’t be much for him to do until the next calling card was found; none of the last few incidents had left any traceable clues. Goro wandered aimlessly around Paris, learning his way around the metro and taking note of landmarks that could prove useful. He’d always heard Paris was a charming city - “the most wonderful place on earth”. For some reason, he wasn’t seeing any of that charm. It was just strange, unfamiliar, isolating--even for someone who was used to being alone.

One brisk afternoon he found himself wandering along the Seine without a clear destination in mind. As he passed cafe after cafe, glancing at customers lounging inside, he began to feel a hankering for coffee himself. Finally he stopped just outside of a modest-looking establishment on the corner, with a name he couldn’t possibly have pronounced if he tried. An inviting scent wafted from inside. It was crowded, but it looked like there was at least one table with a seat open. He considered for a moment.

_ Well, just one cup couldn’t hurt… _

Bells jingling, Goro tugged open the door and slipped inside.


	2. Thief-in-Training (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his initial response, Akira hears back from the mysterious Morgana.

_ Thank you for your swift reply, Monsieur Kurusu. _

_ You will not be coming to France for about two years, but in that time, you have a considerable amount of work to do to prepare. I’ve attached a few documents to this email; please let me know if you have trouble opening them. The first is a loose timeline of logistical preparations that need to be made in order for you to come to France: things like applying for study abroad, obtaining a student Visa, obtaining or updating your passport, etc.  _

_ You will be studying at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and enrolling with their Art History department through an exchange program. I will provide application materials for the specific program when we get closer to that stage of your preparation. In order to take classes at this university (and, indeed, to live daily life in France) you will need to demonstrate intermediate to advanced mastery of the French language. You should look to enroll in your school’s French courses as soon as you are able. In the future, you will be corresponding with me and others on this project entirely in French. While not required, I recommend also continuing your studies with art history, to broaden your knowledge of the world of art. _

_ Also attached is a proposed workout schedule. The work of a Phantom Thief is very physically demanding. You will need to be able to scale steep walls and crawl through tight spaces, occasionally while carrying heavy or fragile items. Though it is not necessary, some training with parkour may also prove useful to you. I will expect you to be able to lift at least your own weight by the time you arrive on site in France. _

_ I’ve also attached a recommended reading list; while not necessary, these are books that you can read to get a sense of the job and what I’m asking of you. Of chief importance among them is the early Arsene Lupin novels, if you can find them in translation. _

_ You may be looking at these instructions and thinking about all the additional costs. You may be concerned, and reasonably so. Rest assured that I will subsidize any extra cost you incur for your preparations, including a gym membership if you would like one. Simply send me the receipts and I will reimburse you promptly. _

_ Finally, I’ve attached a contract. If you’ve looked over the itinerary, training schedule, and reading list, and are ready to commit to this sizable undertaking, read the contract and send it back to me with your signature. Be sure to read it thoroughly; there are no tricks in the fine print, but you should still read it to understand what you’re agreeing to. If you’re having second thoughts, at this stage you can still back out--but after signing that contract, you will not be able to change your mind. _

_ M. Kurusu, I look forward to working with you. _

_ Regards, _

_ -Morgana _

\------

Akira printed out the attachments so he could read them more closely. Like Morgana’s emails, they were both in English; he spent some time translating the schedules and lists into a loose Japanese so that he could reference them quickly later.

It was looking to be a tremendous amount of work--not to mention his own responsibilities with school, and his part-time job at Leblanc… balancing all of this would be a nightmare. At the same time, after having started school without even knowing what he wanted to major in, maybe the extra work would pay off in the long run.

Akira’s eyes paused at the second-to-last item on the itinerary; the one just before “flight to France”.  _ Practice run at local museum. _ He looked through the other documents, but could find nothing that elaborated on it.

Nervously, he penned another reply to Morgana.

\------

_ Hi Morgana,  _

_ I was looking through the stuff you sent me and I have a question about one of the things on the itinerary. “Practice run at local museum.” What does that mean? _

_ I’ll have the contract signed and ready for you soon. _

_ -Kurusu _

\------

It took about a day to receive a reply.

\------

_ Monsieur Kurusu, _

_ First of all, I appreciate your curiosity. It’s admirable that you have questions about the (arguably questionable) tasks I have for you. _

_ Regarding the practice run, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to describe it in detail. You can consider it a “rehearsal” of sorts, to see if you can truly play the role of Phantom Thief. I will ask you to send a calling card to a museum local to you. This card will announce your plans to steal a piece of art from them on a set date. For the rehearsal, it does not matter which piece you choose, as you will not ultimately be stealing it. Instead, your task is to design an infiltration route and get in and out of the museum after hours without being detected. If you are discovered, you are to avoid capture by any means necessary (short of lethal force).  _

_ I will provide any infiltration tools or technological assistance you may need--and bail you out of jail if things come to that. But know that if you are captured, I will have to reconsider whether you are suited for this job. _

_ For the time being, though, you need not worry about the practice run. You should first be committing yourself to studying French and building your physical strength. _

_ Let me know if you have any other questions; I am happy to answer them. _

_ Regards, _

_ -Morgana _

\------

Akira read Morgana’s reply multiple times to make sure he truly understood it, but it was still a lot to wrap his head around. If he did this; if he signed that contract, there would be no going back. The next two or three years of his life would be signed away to an unknown patron in a foreign country, for whom he would be unequivocally breaking the law. If he were caught, he might be facing a future behind bars.

And yet, there was still the tiny voice in his head that echoed:  _ what are you waiting for? _


	3. Thief-in-Training (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even the most seasoned thieves started somewhere...

It was after midnight on a balmy night in July. All was quiet at the Ancient Orient Museum in Ikebukuro--the 7th floor of the Bunka Kaikan building of Sunshine City. The security guards making rounds had no reason to suspect there would be anything out of the ordinary--the red calling card that had been found in the museum a week or two prior had been deemed a hoax. Had they paid closer attention to it, they would have seen that it read:

_ Certain artifacts in the museum collection were looted illegally from Iran at the turn of the century. I will be by the night of the 2nd to retrieve them and see that they are returned. -A _

The “A” did not yet mean anything; Morgana had warned him against using his future thief persona for this rehearsal heist. Otherwise, Akira had designed the aesthetics of the card himself: red card stock, with words cut and pasted from magazines to form a message. He was almost disappointed that the museum had disregarded it.

Everything was going smoothly. Morgana confirmed that he’d disabled the cameras, temporarily playing the previous night’s footage on the screens in the security room. Akira had found his way inside by crawling into an air vent on the ground floor, making his way to the elevator shaft, and jury-rigging it to rise seven floors to the museum. He shuffled around through the ventilation system in the ceiling, scanning beyond each grate to make sure he couldn’t be seen before passing over it. He was surprised that he was able to fit inside at all, but in the last two years he’d had a lot of practice cramming into tight spaces.

_How long should I wait before trying to get back out? Half an hour? An hour?_ _All that matters is that I can get in and out without being seen…_

Checking that all was clear below him, Akira moved to pass over another grate. Unfortunately, this one hadn’t been securely fastened--it fell open with a clatter, and Akira’s hand and arm followed. He hit his chin on the far side of the opening, resulting in another metallic  _ bang. _

_ Fuck. _

Akira withdrew his arm and retreated away from the open grate. He waited, motionless, listening for signs of movement below… 

“What was that?”

“It sounded like it came from over here…”

_ Shit. Shit shit shit--! _

Akira crawled backward like his life depended on it--and it very much did. He passed over several more grates, not bothering to check whether he was clear, before reaching the elevator shaft and getting himself turned around. Peering over the edge, he saw that the elevator had come to a rest… seven floors down.

“Is someone up there?!” a voice echoed faintly through the vents. Akira knew better than to respond; he clamped a gloved hand over his mouth to mask the sound of his breathing. “Why’s this grate open...?”

“Hey, there was a maintenance guy here fixing the AC the other day,” a second voice reached his ears. “Maybe he forgot to fasten the grate back up?”

“Ah, that’s true… It’s probably nothing. I’ll get a ladder...”

The voices faded as they moved farther away. Akira breathed a sigh of relief. For now, at least, the danger had subsided.

Now the problem was that his exit strategy was sitting seven floors below him.

Akira took a minute to inventory what he had with him. There were lockpicks (which he hadn’t anticipated needing to use), along with the telescoping rod he’d used to activate the elevator. Glass cutting tools, a small stack of red card stock… Morgana had instructed him to take all of his infiltration tools with him for the rehearsal, so he could get used to sneaking around with full pockets.

Among the items in his pack were a winch and anchored cable, both strong enough to support a grown man. Those were probably the only things of any use to him at the moment. Akira clipped the winch to his belt and fastened the anchor to the wall just outside the vent entrance. He tugged on it, somehow doubting that it would hold.

_ Here goes nothing…! _

Akira crawled out of the vent, putting all of his weight on the cable. Surprisingly enough, it held fast. He put his boots to the wall, gulped nervously, and unwound the winch a few inches at a time. He rappelled step by step down the elevator shaft, praying that nobody would be using the elevator at this hour.

He was about one floor from the elevator when his plan hit another snag. The cable was only so long; he ran out of rope before reaching the bottom.

_ God damn it. _

Swinging from the winch, he considered his options. He could release the anchor’s hold on the wall with the press of a button, but that would mean he’d fall directly onto the elevator--risking broken bones, and no doubt making a sound that could be heard throughout the building. He could, potentially, exit the vents on another floor and try to call the elevator--but that came with the risk of being seen. Morgana only had control of the cameras in the museum; everywhere else was off limits.

_ Calm down, Akira. You can figure this one out. _

He rewound the winch just enough to reach the next floor’s vent and climbed into it. Only then did he release the anchor, catching it as it fell. After re-fastening it to the wall, he rappelled the rest of the way down. The ground floor vent awaited him just above the elevator roof, and after retrieving the anchor one last time, he bent down and slipped quietly inside.

_ Whew. _

The vent opened up on the south side of the building, just high enough above the ground for a safe jump. Akira opened the grate and checked his surroundings before leaping out, rolling to deflect the impact. He moved away from the building, toward the freeway, and took cover behind a concrete support pillar. His heart was still pounding, but he knew that from here he couldn’t be caught on camera.

He took out his phone to contact Morgana, clumsily typing his message in French.

_ From Akira: All clear. Easy in, easy out. Almost got caught, but got lucky. Guards suspect nothing. Should be good to turn the cameras back on. _

After a few minutes, he received a reply.

_ From Morgana: Great. Cameras back online in 5 minutes. Make yourself scarce. Will contact tomorrow with further information. _

Akira couldn’t help smiling as he put his phone back in his pocket. He took off the black beanie he’d worn to the heist and pocketed it. He’d been instructed to wear fairly regular clothing for the rehearsal, but Morgana had hinted that there would be a more elaborate outfit for him once he reached France--once he was ready to take on his thief persona for real.

Akira made his way toward the station, hands in his pockets. Even though he was long out of danger, his heart was still pounding--and why wouldn’t it be? He’d successfully snuck into and out of a building, illegally, without raising an alarm. All his training the last two years had led to this, and he’d succeeded with flying colors.

_ Now… imagine actually going in and stealing something, and getting away without a trace…! _

He couldn’t help smiling to himself. At the start he hadn’t really believed it was possible, but now, the possibility was within his reach.

_ To think it was so easy… I think I’m starting to understand why there are people like Arsene Lupin. I haven’t felt a rush like this in ages. _

_ In another month or so, I’ll be in France. And then, the real work will begin… _

His smile widened into a grin.

_ Is it bad that I’m looking forward to it? _


End file.
